Rosario (Spanish pronunciation:[roˈsaɾjo]) is the largest city in the centralArgentineprovince ofSanta Fe. The city, located 300 km (186 mi) northwest ofBuenos Aires on the west bank of theParaná River, is the third-most populous city in the country after Buenos Aires and Cordoba. With a growing and importantmetropolitan area,Greater Rosario has an estimated population of 1,750,000 as of 2020[update].[5][6] One of its main attractions includes theneoclassical,Art Nouveau,[7] andArt Deco architecture that has been preserved in hundreds of residences, houses and public buildings. The city is also famous for being the birthplace of the Argentine footballerLionel Messi.[8]
Rosario is the head city of theRosario Department and is located at the heart of the major industrial corridor in Argentina. The city is a majorrailroad terminal and the shipping center for north-eastern Argentina. Ships reach the city via the Paraná River, which allows the existence of a 10-metre-deep (34 ft)port. ThePort of Rosario is subject tosilting and must bedredged periodically.[9]Exports includewheat,flour,hay,linseed and othervegetable oils,corn,sugar,lumber,meat,hides, andwool. Manufactured goods include flour, sugar, meat products, and other foodstuffs. TheRosario-Victoria Bridge, opened in 2004, spans the Paraná River, connecting Rosario with the city ofVictoria, across theParaná Delta. The city plays a critical role in agricultural commerce, and thus finds itself at the center of a continuing debate over taxes levied on big-ticket agricultural goods such as soy.
Along withParaná, Rosario is one of the few Argentine cities that cannot point to a particular individual as its founder. The city's patron is the "Virgin of the Rosary", whose feast day is 7 October.
Map of the city of Rosarioc. 1877Rosario port area in 1888
Even though the city did not have a clear foundation date or any official acknowledgement thereof, most commentators state that Rosario was founded on 7 October 1793 with a local population of 457 inhabitants.[10] Nonetheless, the town was officially declared acity on 3 August 1852, at the time it was known asPago de los Arroyos ("land of thestreams"), a reference to the several small rivers that traverse the southern region of Santa Fe, like theLudueña Stream, theSaladillo Stream and others, emptying into theParaná River. In 1689, captain Luís Romero de Piñeda received part of the lands of the Pago de los Arroyos by royal decree, as payment for services to the Spanish Crown. Before that, the area was originally inhabited by various indigenous tribes, some of which lived inreducciones, a type ofmission founded byFranciscans. These missions were ultimately attacked and destroyed by hostile tribes of theChaco region.
Romero de Piñeda established the first permanent settlement, anestancia — intended as farmland, not as a town. In 1719, theJesuits bought another part and establishedEstancia San Miguel. The area was still so scarcely populated that it had no central authority; it was ruled from the provincial capital (Santa Fe), and in turn from Buenos Aires.
In 1724, another colonial settlement was initiated by Santiago de Montenegro, who set up a mill, drew plans for the future town, built achapel, and was appointedmayor in 1751. The area of control of this local government extended northward from today's Rosario; only in 1784 was it divided into two smaller jurisdictions.
On February 27, 1812, GeneralManuel Belgrano raised the newly createdArgentine flag on the shores of the Paraná, for the first time. Because of this, Rosario is known as the "Cradle of the Argentine Flag". TheNational Flag Memorial marks the occasion.
The province of Santa Fe suffered greatly from the civil war that afflicted Argentina after 1820. Demographic growth was relatively slow. During this period, Rosario was a small settlement and a stop on the way from the city of Santa Fe to Buenos Aires. In 1823, it was elevated to the category of "village" (Ilustre y Fiel Villa del Rosario).Charles Darwintravelled through the area in 1832 and described Rosario as "a large town" with about 2,000 residents. In 1841, a decree of thecaudillo and Governor of Buenos Aires,Juan Manuel de Rosas, banned navigation of the Paraná andParaguay rivers to non-Argentine vessels, and thus shut off thePort of Rosario toforeign trade.
On 25 December 1851, a small group of locals and the military guard of the city declared their support for the rivalcaudilloJusto José de Urquiza. As a reward for their participation in theBattle of Caseros, triumphant Urquiza wrote to the governor of Santa Fe on 9 June 1852 asking for Rosario to be granted city status. GovernorDomingo Crespo justified the request at the provincial legislative body, marking the geographically strategic position of the town for national and international trade, and on 5 August, Rosario was formally declared a city.
Urquiza opened up the river for free international trade. The city's economy and population expanded at an accelerated rate. By 1880, Rosario had become the firstexport outlet of Argentina. During the last 15 years of the 19th century, the city more than doubled its population, in part due toimmigration. By 1887 it had about 50,000 inhabitants, of whom 40% wereEuropean immigrants, who brought new ideas from Europe and began to turn Rosario into apolitically progressive city (contrasting with the moreconservative, aristocratic Santa Fe).
During the second half of the 19th century, there was a movement promoting that the city of Rosario become the capital of the republic.Ovidio Lagos, founder of the oldest Argentine newspaper,La Capital, was one of the strongest proponents of this idea (one of the main avenues in Rosario now carries his name). Rosario was indeed declared the federal capital on three occasions, but each time the law was vetoed by the Executive Branch (once byBartolomé Mitre and twice byDomingo Faustino Sarmiento). In 1911, the French-owned railway companyFerrocarril Rosario y Puerto Belgrano opened a line between Rosario andPuerto Belgrano, Argentina's main naval base. By 1926, Rosario had 407,000 inhabitants, 47% of them foreign, many coming from Europe in the wake of World War I.
In 1969 workers and students took to the streets and organized strikes in what has been dubbed the "Rosariazo" against the dictatorship. A few years later, in 1976, themilitary dictatorship made hundreds of dissident citizens "disappear" in what is known as theDirty War.
In 1983, Argentina returned to democratic rule, but in 1989,hyperinflation caused the economic collapse of the country. In Rosario there wereriots and looting episodes. Under theMenem administration, the situation worsened as the industrial sector of the city was dismantled by foreign competition, and agricultural exports stagnated. In 1995,unemployment in the area reached 21.1% and a large part of Rosario's population fell below thepoverty line.
Since the recovery of thenational economy that followed the2001 collapse, Rosario's economic situation has improved. The boom in agricultural exports has caused a large increase inconsumer spending and investment. TheSocialist Party has won mayoral races in the city in every election since CouncilmanHéctor Cavallero's 1989 election. Cavallero's successor,Hermes Binner (elected in 1995), was electedGovernor of Santa Fe in 2007 and became the runner-up in the2011 presidential election on theFAP ticket. MayorMiguel Lifschitz's administration, elected in 2007, took advantage of the economic boom to invest heavily inpublic works as well as in public health (which takes up about a quarter of the wholebudget). MayorMónica Fein became, in 2011, the first Socialist woman elected mayor in Argentine history.[11]
After the 1990s, Rosario became a major city of the illegal drug trade in Argentina, headed by a drug dealing family called "Los Monos" ("The Monkeys").[12] Early during 2018, it was estimated by national news sources that a turf war between local drug gangs ("Los Funes" and "Los Camino") was costing an average of one life every twenty five hours.[13][14]
Rosario is ruled by an executive branch represented by amayor (seat:Palacio de los Leones), and a legislative branch, consisting of a Deliberative Council (seat:Palacio Vassallo). The mayor is elected for a four-year term, and the Council renews half of its 21 members every two years.
Since 1997, a municipal program of decentralization of legislative activities was carried out, materialized in 6 Municipal Centres of District (Centre, North, South, West, Northwest and Southwest).
The city is divided into six large administrativedistricts (Center, North, Northwest, West, Southwest, and South), with Municipal District Centers that provide services to the population.
For years, local people and institutions have been pushing the provincial government to grant Rosario the status ofAutonomous City. Some, with the sponsorship of the governors of Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba as well as other important politicians, have put forward a legislative project to move theNational Congress to Rosario, todecentralize the national government.[15]
Since the return to democracy in 1983, the mayors of Rosario wereHoracio Usandizaga,Héctor Cavallero (standing in for Usandizaga, then re-elected),Hermes Binner (re-elected once),Miguel Lifschitz (re-elected once), and, since December 2011 to December 2019,Mónica Fein. Currently, the mayor isPablo Javkin, whose term lasts from December 2019 to 2023. From Cavallero on (1989), the mayor has been a member of theSocialist Party, since December 2019, Rosario's mayor is from a different political party, ending more than 30 years of socialism.
The city does not have apolice force of its own (it is served by the provincial police), but in 2004 it pioneered the creation of a special patrol force of unarmed officers calledGuardia Urbana Municipal ("Municipal Urban Guard"), which was later used as a model forBuenos Aires and other cities.
Parroquia del Perpetuo Socorro, a church at Lisandro de la Torre district
The municipality of Rosario comprises 178.69 square kilometres (69.0 sq mi), of which 117.2 km2 (45 sq mi) are urbanized, in 6,306 housing blocks. Of this area, 9.3 km2 (3.6 sq mi), 5.3% is devoted to green spaces (parks, boulevards, plazas), which gives over 10 m2 of green space per inhabitant.
Electric power is supplied to the whole urban area and running water reaches 97% of the population (about 350,000 homes). Natural gas is provided to 227,152 homes.[16]
With the recovery of the national economy since 2002, the city experienced a real-estate boom. In the period 2003–2006, the construction sector added 2 million m2, investing about $900 million. Despite this increased supply, both price and rent have increased sharply compared to the values during the 1990s.
According to experts, this growth was propelled by the increased purchasing power of farmers around Rosario, helped by competitive exports, and the overall preference for safer investment options.[17]
Rosario has several public health centers: five municipal hospitals (including achildren's hospital and an emergency hospital/trauma center) and a municipal outpatient-only center, plus two large provincial hospitals (Hospital Provincial andHospital Centenario), and their associatedprimary care centers in the city proper and its metropolitan area.
Bolsa de Comercio Rosario: The Rosario Stock Exchange
Rosario is the centre of a metropolitan region whose economy is based on services and industry, generating the second-largest urbangross regional product of Argentina, after Greater Buenos Aires.[citation needed][18] The principal manufacturing sector is the agro industry, whose industries are placed in the northern and southern areas ofGreater Rosario; the investments over the last decade have transformed Rosario into a major role of processing oil of the world[19] Many other sectors contribute to the diversified industrial offerings of the city. Rosario and its metropolitan area produce 20% of the cars, 4% of the domestic refrigerators, 80% of the machinery for the food industry and 100% of the auto bodies for long-distance buses made in Argentina.
Other important sectors include the petrochemical sector, with three plants located in the suburbs of San Lorenzo and Port San Martin; the chemistry sector, with plants for sulphuric acid, fertilizers, resins and other products; the cellulose industry; themeat industry; ironworks; auto parts; the plants and equipment for bottled oil; agricultural machinery; and the materials and equipment for the construction industry.Worldwide international companies settled in Rosario include, among others,General Motors,Cargill,Unilever,John Deere,Petrobrás,ICI,Dow,Tenneco andMahle.
Wood chips carrierRacer on theParaná River, just coming under the Rosario-Victoria Bridge
The Municipal Bank was founded in 1896 to support the financial needs of the citizens and small businesses in the highly productive region of southern Santa Fe Province, centered in Rosario. At the time, the city had around 92,000 inhabitants and was alreadythe most important port on the Paraná River. The idea of creating a municipal financial institution was expressed in 1893 by Mayor Floduardo Grandoli, citing the proliferation of "centers ofusury" that exploited those in need of credit, especially the poor (something not addressed by the profile of theProvincial Bank of Santa Fe, which granted loans only to demonstrably solvent persons). Acting on this, the municipal Counseling Commission passed a bill (on 1 February 1895) dictating an "Organic Charter of the Municipal Bank of Loans and Savings Accounts;" the bank opened exactly one year later.
The seat of the bank was moved in 1905. Its name was changed to its present form on 14 May 1940 by a municipal bill. Its location was moved again, for the last time so far, in 1986. Following some political controversy, the bank in 2006 was capitalized by the municipality to comply with new regulations dictated by theCentral Bank, and transformed into ajoint stock company, with only 1% of the stock belonging to the municipal state. A special clause was added, dictating that this minimum share is unchangeable, to prevent hypothetical attempts atprivatization.[21]
The largest technological center in Argentina –Polo Tecnológico Rosario (PTR) – is located in Rosario withinLa Siberia site. The center focuses mainly on research and development of the three following areas: biotechnology, software development, and telecommunications. It currently employs 3,500 people, and it is expected to grow 100% by 2015 to become one of the largest in Latin America.
Rosario has many cultural activities in many artistic disciplines with national and international reach. The city has produced important personalities in the fields of music, painting, philosophy, politics, poetry, literature, medicine, and law. Among the city's important theaters areEl Círculo,Sala Lavardén, Broadway, Astengo Auditorium, and La Comedia. A cultural complex known asPuerto de la Música,[22] designed by the modernist architectOscar Niemeyer (ofBrasília fame), is to be built along the banks of the Paraná River. If completed, it will be one of the largest centers for musical performance in Latin America. In 2012, after years without progress, it was put on indefinite hold due to financial constraints.
The Independence Hippodrome opened on December 8 of 1901, when the first ride meeting was held.The Hippodrome was located in the heart of the Parque de la Independencia and occupied a prominent place in the city's social scene. In 1919, construction began of the Popular Opinion. La Tribuna rose Partners in 1928. Moreover, it had started the construction of a new box office. In 1941, the Tribune Paddock (formerly Partners Tribune) was demolished. The final podium of professional construidaes, begun in 1972. Independence Hippodrome was the initiator in Argentina night time racing, with lighting facilities for this purpose. There's also theJockey Club de Rosario.
Tracks
The racecourse features three tracks that are used for entertainment, vacation, and skills.The Main Track has 1,794 metres (5,886 ft) of sand. This track is open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for tests, with Sunday competitions.
The Assistant Track 1 has 1,650 m (5,413 ft) with sand, used on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays inclusive for the tournaments and some special courses such as race trot.
The Assistant Track 2 has 1,450 m (4,757 ft) of land used to jog and tame.
Tribunes
Ex-Tribune Partners: with a privileged view of the oval track and focused, this building covers 1,300 m2 (13,990 sq ft) and three levels, the second is a restaurant seating 150 people.
Professional-Tribune, has a covered area of 300 m2 (3,229 sq ft). On the ground floor is the technical area and the Commissariat sector.
Paddock-Tribune, has covered area of 900 m2 (9,688 sq ft). It has a gambling parlor and a VIP room with a buffet area for the fans. It has the office of the Administration and the boxes for journalists.
Argentine Flag MemorialThe Propylaeum (column gallery) of the National Argentine Flag MemorialThe Flag Memorial at nightRosario seen from the Flag Memorial
The National Flag Memorial in Rosario is a monumental complex built near the banks of the Paraná River. It was commissioned in 1944 and inaugurated on June 20, 1957 – the anniversary of the death ofManuel Belgrano, creator of the Argentine flag, who raised it for the first time on an island in the river on February 27, 1812.
The Memorial (Monumento) has three parts: the Tower (Torre) or mast, 70 metres (230 ft) high, which commemorates the Revolution of May 1810 and houses Manuel Belgrano's crypt in its base; the Civic Courtyard (Patio Cívico), which symbolizes the effort of the organization of the state (the Courtyard is used for massive open-air shows), and the Triumphal Propylaeum (Propileo Triunfal), representing the nation as organized after the 1853 Constitution. Under the Propylaeum there is the Honor Room for the Flags of America (where the flags of all American nations are displayed).
The complex faces Belgrano Avenue, and is delimited by Córdoba and Santa Fe Streets, the latter of which slopes down towards the river at this point. The Propylaeum can be accessed from the pedestrian passage called Pasaje Juramento ("Oath Passage"), which starts at Buenos Aires St. between the municipal building (Palacio de los Leones) and the Cathedral, in front of Plaza 25 de Mayo (May 25 Square). Statues flank the passage by famous sculptor Lola Mora.
The Memorial and the National Flag Park located in front of it are the seat of the main celebrations of Flag Day on June 20. The 50th anniversary of the inauguration of the complex, in 2007, was marked by a special celebration and by the unveiling of a new lighting system.[27]El Puerto de la Música will be a theater with a total capacity of 30,000 people located by the Paraná River.
ArchitectOscar Niemeyer came up with the concept by expanding the show from inside the theater to a much larger outside audience. The concrete curvilinear shape building with an area of 215,278 sq ft (20,000.0 m2) is the first design of Oscar Niemeyer in Argentina.[28] The project will be a distinctive part of Rosario's skyline. Construction will begin at the end of 2010 and is expected to be completed by 2014.
Located in Urquiza Park, Rosario's Municipal Astronomical Complex is one of the principal astronomical centers of the region.
The planetarium has a core team, together with its secondary elements, providing an artificial image of the sky through projections made on a fixed hemispherical dome that functions as a display.
The assembly is installed in the Room "Oscar Claudio Caprile", located in the heart of the magnificent building that is shaped like a comet.
For its technical characteristics in terms of size, quality of sound and image, and interior comfort, this room is considered among the best in the world.
The building in the shape of a comet forms a part of the complex that includes the "Prof. Victor Capolongo" observatory and the experimental science museum.
Municipal Astronomical Observatory "Prof. Victor Capolongo" was inaugurated on June 18, 1970, and named its first director.
The Observatory facilitates outreach, teaching, and research in the field of astronomy and related sciences and informs the public of phenomena that occur in the sky, such as eclipses, planetary configurations, passages of comets, etc.
To that end, the Observatory has installed two telescopes. One Coudé refractor has a 150 mm (5.9 in) aperture and 2,250 mm (88.6 in) focal distance provided with Lyot's monochromatic filter for solar observation. Another Cassegrain reflector has 300 mm (11.8 in) aperture, constructed by the Carl Zeiss company.
There are realized observations and astronomical photography of all the visible celestial objects in Rosario's sky, according to time of year and especially the Sun, the Moon, and the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and Venus.
The asteroid14812 Rosario was named in the city's honor as a result.[29]
This museum was inaugurated on September 24, 1987. It is the first in Argentina and differs from traditional museums, in that it has equipment and instruments to demonstrate the laws of nature, which can be interactively used by the general public.
Thus, visitors of all ages can use telescopes and microscopes or experiment with lasers, sound mixers, radios of various types, computers, solar cells, etc.
To complement this, exhibit panels have photographs and explanatory texts of science and technology: mathematics and computer science, engineering, physics, astronomy, astronautics, geology, chemistry, and biology. In addition, an important area is intended for periodic samples, such as theSpace Age, energy: renewable and rational use, from sand to glass, among others. The museum staff is supported by contributions from the Ministry of Science and Technology Office, the Municipality of Rosario, and the contributions made by institutions and individuals.
The museum audiovisual projections are made in the Video Sector Science, which has an area called "CIENCIANIÑO" (ChildScience) for children aged 4 to 10. The museum works in the evening, similar to the Planetarium. Educational institutions at all levels are treated in shift assignments.
The 4-metre-tall bronze statue ofChe Guevara was unveiled on 14 June 2008[30] to commemorate the 80th anniversary of his birth. It is made from 75,000 bronze keys donated by Argentines nationwide[30] and weighs 2.7 tons. The statue was made by artistAndrés Zerneri and is the first such monument to Guevara in his native Argentina.[31]
Rosario is located in theProvince ofSanta Fe, Argentina. This metropolis has a population of about 1.2 million (1,159,004 est.), thus being Argentina's third most populated urban settlement, afterCórdoba.[32] Greater Rosario comprises Rosario itself (population about 910,000) and a large area around it, spreading in all directions except eastward (because of the Paraná River). Directly to the south, it includes the city ofVilla Gobernador Gálvez, with a population of about 75,000, about 10 km (6.2 mi) from Rosario city center.
To the west and south-west there are several smaller towns and cities (Funes,Roldán,Pérez,Soldini); Roldán is 23 km (14 mi) from the Rosario city centre. These settlements were incorporated into the metropolis due to their vicinity to major roads leading into Rosario, and many people living there habituallycommute to Rosario.
The north of the Greater Rosario is one end of an area traditionally calledCordón Industrial ("Industrial Corridor"), since it was traditionally a heavily industrialized productive region. The prelude to theeconomic crisis in the 1990s largely dismantled the industrial infrastructure and damaged agricultural exports. These sectors were largely revitalized by2006 as the national economy continued to recover, but high levels of poverty and unemployment persist in the city's western neighborhoods (official surveys indicated that in 2011, 6.5% of the metro area population was under thepoverty line; and that in 2012, 8.3% of the labor force was unemployed).[6][33]
In 1876 the total population was 203,509; by 1926, Rosario had 407,000 inhabitants, 47% of them foreign, many having arrived from Europe in the wake of World War I. Most of these were Italian, and among them, a majority from the north-western region ofLiguria.
As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,193,605 people residing in the city and31 surrounding districts, making Greater Rosario the third-largest metro area in Argentina even as its population growth has leveled off.[3] The population density in Rosario proper was 6,680 inhabitants per square kilometer (17,300 inhabitants/sq mi); but, only about 2,400/km2 (6,200/sq mi) in the suburbs.[34]
Club Español de Rosario, club of the Spanish community in Rosario
The 2010 Census also showed a relatively aged population. With 21% under the age of fifteen and 17% over sixty, the people have an age structure similar to those in many North American cities. They are, likewise, more elderly on average than Argentines as a whole (of whom 25% were under 15 and 14%, over 60).[3]
The ethnic make-up of Rosario changed in the late 19th century, when significant numbers of European immigrants arrived in the city. Prior to this the city's population had been almost completely European-descent in ethnic origin. AsBuenos Aires was the first landfall in Argentina for many migrant ships coming from Europe in the 1850s and 1890s, Rosario started to experience a diverse influx of people.[citation needed] The main contributors wereSpain,Italy,France,Croatia,Poland,Russia,Romania,Ukraine, theBalkans (especiallyGreece,Serbia andMontenegro),Switzerland,Germany,United Kingdom,Ireland, andScandinavia (especiallySweden). By the 1910s, 43 percent of the city population was non-native Argentine after immigration rates peaked.[35][36]
Most immigrants, regardless of origin, settled in the city or aroundGreater Rosario. However, in the first stages of immigration, some formed colonies (especiallyagricultural colonies) in different parts of the city, often encouraged by the Argentine government and/or sponsored by private individuals and organizations.
Rosario is divided into six districts, most named by location, although the easternmost is calledCentre District for it includes the oldest part of the city, historically calledCentro (City Centre). The data given below are from the 2001census[INDEC].
Villa Hortensia, the seat of the North DistrictSeat of the Center District, at the former Rosario Central railway station
Centre District
Population: 261,047 Area: 20.37 km2 (11.45% of the city) Population density: 12,815 inhab/km2 Housing: 110,152 units
North District
Population: 131,495 Area: 35.02 km2 (19.6% of the city) Population density: 3,744 inhab/km2 Housing: 40,492 units
Northwest District
Population: 144,461 Area: 44.14 km2 (24.7% of the city) Population density: 3,273 inhab/km2 Housing: 41,740 units
West District
Population: 106,356 Area: 40.21 km2 (22.5% of the city) Population density: 2,645 inhab/km2 Housing: 31,625 units
Southwest District
Population: 103,446 Area: 20.19 km2 (11.3% of the city) Population density: 5,123 inhab/km2 Housing: 28,284 units
South District
Population: 160,771 Area: 18.76 km2 (10.5% of the city) Population density: 8,569 inhab/km2 Housing: 48,541 units
The central offices of the Municipal Bank of Rosario, as pictured in 2006
At Rosario city center,Córdoba Street is the main avenue. It begins at the Flag Memorial Park, climbs towards the district area, and becomes a pedestrian walk for seven blocks, between Plaza 25 de Mayo and Plaza Pringles. Along Córdoba Ave to the westPaseo del Siglo ("Walk of the Century") was settled, with former houses of wealthy families, finally there is also theSan Martín Square, and elsewhere,Plaza Montenegro (onPeatonal San Martín, the pedestrian-only four blocks ofSan Martín Street) andPlaza Sarmiento.
Towards the south, beyond Pellegrini Avenue, there are two more boulevards, 27 de Febrero and Seguí, and avenues Uriburu, Arijón and Battle y Ordóñez.To the west, after Oroño, there are the avenues Ovidio Lagos and Francia, Avellaneda Boulevard and Provincias Unidas Avenue. The mainbarrios in the south are La Tablada, Parque Casado, Las Heras, Las Delicias and Las Flores. The city ends in theSaladillo Stream.
Next to the stadium, there is theParque Alem, and nearby the Sorrento thermalpower plant. To the north lie the districts ofAlberdi, La Florida (with a popularbeach resort of the same name), Parque Field (built under US President John F. Kennedy's Alliance for Progress development plans) and Rucci. The main streets are Alberdi Avenue and its continuation, Rondeau Boulevard (which leads to theRosario-Victoria Bridge and the city ofGranadero Baigorria). These are crossed by the avenues Las Tres Vías, Génova, Sorrento, and Puccio.
An important part of Rosario's urban character is its riverbank. The city recovered the riverbank of the Paraná not long ago, thanks to a reorganization of terrains formerly owned by the port and the national railroad system. Going from the center immediately north of the port, the riverbank is surrounded by a large number of parks;Argentine flag Memorial,Parque de España,Parque de las Colectividades andParque Sunchales.
Through the years, Rosario has spread in all directions. Towards the south, beyond Pellegrini, there are two more boulevards, 27 de Febrero and Seguí, and avenues Uriburu, Arijón and Battle y Ordóñez.To the west, after Oroño, there are the avenues Ovidio Lagos and Francia, Avellaneda Boulevard and Provincias Unidas Avenue. The main neighborhoods in the south are La Tablada, Parque Casado, Las Heras, Las Delicias and Las Flores. The city ends in theSaladillo Stream (the natural border withVilla Gobernador Gálvez). This is just south of the great barrio Grandoli.
Among the neighborhoods in the west areEchesortu,Belgrano, Triángulo, Moderno, Godoy, andFisherton (near the west end of the city, formerly the home of hierarchical personnel of English railroad companies established in Rosario).To the north-east there lie the neighborhoods ofPichincha (ared-light district in the early 20th century, now home to an open-air antiquities fair:Mercado de antigüedades "Feria Retro La Huella"), Ludueña,Lisandro de la Torre (home of theRosario Central football club) and Empalme Graneros; these last three are in the influence area of theLudueña Stream, now contained by underground piping, but until the 1980s a source of floods.
Next to the Rosario Central stadium, there is a large park,Parque Alem, and not far from it, there stands the Sorrento thermoelectricpower plant. North of the Lisandro de la Torre neighborhood, there areAlberdi (formerly an independent town), La Florida (with a popularbeach resort of the same name), and Rucci.
The main streets in the north are Alberdi Avenue and its continuation, Rondeau Boulevard (which leads to the north exit of the city, the access to the Rosario-Victoria Bridge, and the town ofGranadero Baigorria). These major arteries are crossed by several avenues: Las Tres Vías, Génova, Sorrento, and Puccio.
Rosario's strategic location is destined to become a significant transportation hub and as the bi-oceanic corridor that links the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), an important component in global distribution and the core center of a key corridor in theMercosur, the Common Market for the South.[38]
The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Rosario, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 50 min. 9% of public transit riders, ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 14 min, while 19% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 4.3 km, while 4% travel for over 12 km in a single direction.[39]
Front entrance and clock tower of the Mariano Moreno Bus Terminal in RosarioTrolleybus in the city centreThe city had a tramway network until 1963.
The Rosario public transport system includes buses,trolleybuses and taxicabs.
TheRosario trolleybus system consists of only one main trunk line. It is presently operated by agovernment-owned corporation,SEMTUR (Sociedad del Estado Municipal para el Transporte Urbano de Rosario, "Municipal State Society for Rosario Urban Transport"), as are some of Rosario's other urban bus lines.
Plaza Sarmiento is the hub of the city bus system, about 40 urban lines in the metropolitan area that provide service every 5 to 10 minutes.
Bus fares are pre-paid by means of either a rechargeable plastic card or a disposable papercard with amagnetic stripe which can be bought frompost offices, automatic vending machines, and private businesses. For occasional use, a larger fare can be paid using acoin machine in the bus unit. The interurban lines have differential fares, and some allow payment in cash only. The municipal administration is phasing out the paper cards, in favor of the plastic ones, during the second half of 2012.
The urban bus fleet was partially renewed during the recovery of the national economy, since 2003, and consists of about 730 units. In 2005 the average age of the buses was five years and 11 months. Improvements in the economy have led to increased use of public transport and comparatively less use of bicycles. According to the Rosario Transportation Office, in 2005 there were about 11 million bus journeys per month,[40] by 2007, usage has climbed to 420,000 people every day (12.6 million per month).
A significant number of buses run onnatural gas, as it also happens in Argentina as a whole since the price of this fuel is quite low compared to the alternatives. The idea to transform all buses to this system did not prosper; most buses run on heavily subsidizeddiesel fuel.
In 2012bus lanes were added to several pairs of parallel streets traversing the downtown area.[1] Bus stops along these are spaced every three blocks instead of the usual two. For the most part, they leave room to only one additional, narrow lane on the left for cars and other vehicles. They can be used for taxis carrying passengers as well. They are exclusive for public transport during weekdays and on Saturday morning; stopping or parking on the affected streets is forbidden, as well as right turns. Their implementation attracted opposition from residents and shop owners but was well received by habitual bus users since they reduce the time needed to get out of the crowded central area by a noticeable amount.[41]
Rosario has a medium-sizedtaxi fleet, with units painted black and outlined in yellow. Some belong to radio-taxi companies and can be reserved by telephone; others only in the streets. As the economy of Argentina recovers, the capacity of the taxi fleet has been strained by higher usage. In September 2005, the Deliberative Council approved the compulsory installation of radio-call systems in all taxi units, but this requirement has not been fulfilled.
Rosario is also a major hub for long-distance overland transportation from the Mariano Moreno Bus Terminal,[42] (Terminal de Omnibus), across from thePatio de la Madera Convention and Exposition Centre complex, about 15 blocks west ofPlaza San Martin.The transportation facility serves 73 bus companies in short, medium, and long-distance travel, carrying 1,100.000 passengers per month to 784 national and international destinations, which comprise most major domestic cities includingPuerto Iguazú,Salta andBariloche and international destinations such asAsunción, Paraguay,Curitiba andRio de Janeiro, Brazil andMontevideo, Uruguay, destinations may be long but white-clad chauffeurs handle comfortablelong-distance coaches with modern conveniences.
Rosario was one of the main cities chosen by the British and Frenchrailway companies that built and operated some of the railways in Argentina during the 19th and early 20th centuries, with more than 15 stations operating in the city. When the entire Argentine railway network wasnationalised during the presidency ofJuan Perón, most of the stations (by then under the administration of State-owned companyFerrocarriles Argentinos) were closed forpassenger services to reduce costs, leaving only a few active.
The other station in the main district,Rosario Oeste, used to concentrate all the passenger services when railways were nationalised in 1948, but currently operates forfreight trains only.
As of June 2021, only two stations remain active for passenger services in the city. The following chart describes the total of existing railway stations in Rosario:
There was a project to build ahigh-speed train betweenBuenos Aires-Rosario-Córdoba, scheduled to be started in 2008, with an inauguration in 2012, that would join Rosario and Buenos Aires in 85 minutes, and would reach Córdoba in another 90 minutes at speeds of up to 320 km/h (199 mph).[48] However it never was constructed and the project was finally suspended after the controversy it generated among the citizens and the media critics because of the high costs it implicated.[49]
Tram tracks are still visible in parts of the city.
The city once had a large tramway network with 192 km of track in the centre of the city, however this was abandoned in 1963 after fierce competition from bus transport in the city.[50] The city now has two heritage tramways, one of which uses vintage trams converted to run on rubber tyres, while the other uses the original trams from the city refurbished to run on rails.[51][52][53]
More recently, a metro system was proposed for the city, though this was shelved in favour of a new urban tramway network. The network is currently in the bidding process, with large firms likeSiemens andIndustrial and Commercial Bank of China bidding for its construction.[54] It is expected to begin at the recently inauguratedRosario Sur Station and run northwards through the city.[55]
Rosario is linked to the rest of the country by a number of roads: the Aramburu Highway (southeast, to Buenos Aires),National Route 9 (from Buenos Aires to Rosario and then north and west up to Jujuy and Bolivia), theBrigadier Estanislao López Highway (north, to Santa Fe City), National Route 11 (to the north of Santa Fe, Formosa and Paraguay), National Route 33 (to the southwest of Santa Fe and the province of Buenos Aires, and then throughNational Route 7 to San Luis, Mendoza and Chile), National Route 34 (north to Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and Bolivia), and National Route 174 (east, to Entre Ríos, over theRosario-Victoria Bridge).
It is surrounded with an extensive system of two belt-highways calledCircunvalación Motorway andA012 which in turn set the limits of the city.
The beltway is 30 km (19 mi) and was built for traffic to avoid the congested city centre, allowing drivers to bypass the city going around it in a much shorter time.In its 30-kilometre (19 mi) length, it intersects withNational Route 9,National Route 3, National Route 34, National Route 11 and National Route 174.
The official numbering system denotes this road as "A008" but this denomination is mostly unknown by the locals as it is still called "Avenida de Circunvalación 25 de Mayo" ("25 of May Beltway Avenue") commemorating theMay Revolution of 1810. Some sections are named after different personalities by local decree. For example:
The section from the east end on 27 Boulevard to the crossing of Ayacucho Street (old exit to the Rosario-Buenos Aires Highway, now access to Provincial Route 21), is called"National Route A008 Tte. General Juan Carlos Sánchez" by decree #232 of 14 May 1981.
The section betweenNational Route 9 and the exit toSanta Fe (the state capital)National Route 11 on the intersection with Rondeau Boulevard is called"National Route A008 Dr. Constantino Razzetti" by law #25769 of 1 September 2003.
TheA012 is the second beltway at the southeast of the city. It has a semi-circular length centered around the city, running as a long-length beltway. From theNational Route 9 junction on km marker 278, in the town of Esther, to the junction withNational Route 11 on km marker 326 in the city ofSan Lorenzo it runs for 67 km (41.6 mi).
This road is popularly known as theSecond Rosario Beltway, as it borders the metropolitan area of greater Rosario.Through National Decree 1595 of 1979[56] this road switched to federal control. Beforehand this road was called Provincial Route 16.
TheRosario – Islas Malvinas International Airport is located 13 km (8 mi) west-northwest from the center of Rosario, a city in theSanta Fe Province ofArgentina. The city of Funes lies directly to the west of the airport, and part of the city limit shares a border with the property of the airport grounds. The airport covers an area of 550 hectares (1,400 acres) and is operated by the Province of Santa Fe.[57][58]
ThePort of Rosario is an inland port and a major goods-shipping centre of Argentina, located in the city of Rosario,province ofSanta Fe, on the left-hand (western) shore of the Paraná River, about 550 km (340 mi) upstream from the Atlantic Ocean.[59][60]
At this point of the course of the Paraná River (Kilometer 420, Mile 260), there is the depth transition between overseas and river navigation. The main channel of the river directly in front of the port has an advantageous configuration that allows preservation of a depth of 10 metres (34 ft) with minor periodicdredging. This allows for downstream navigation of vessels up toPanamax standards. The Paraná is about 600 metres (1,970 ft) wide at Kilometer 418. It becomes 2,000 m (1.2 mi) wide downstream.
The port is the largest of a series located in the several cities of theGreater Rosario that lie on the Paraná; the last (northernmost) able of overseas traffic beingPuerto General San Martín (23 km (14 mi). It is part of the Bi-Oceanic Corridor, which joins the Atlantic with the Pacific Ocean via Buenos Aires, Rosario,Córdoba, and theCuyo region; going north–south it forms the axis of theParaguay-Paraná waterway. It directly services the area of Santa Fe that produces a large portion of Argentine exports, and indirectly the wholeMercosurtrade bloc. In 2003 the traffic in the port amounted to 2.9 million tonnes (3,200,000 short tons).
Cargo from other parts of Argentina is brought into the port by the railway lines of theNuevo Central Argentino, communicating withCórdoba (west) andZárate, Buenos Aires (south), as well as the multiple national and provincial roads and highways that converge in Rosario. Communication with the north-eastern part of the country was enhanced by the 2003 opening of theRosario-Victoria Bridge, that joins the city with the province ofEntre Ríos. TheRosario International Airport (located 15 km (9 mi) west) has also been refurbished to work with cargo traffic.
Teachers' School, on Córdoba AvenueNational University of Rosario Law School
Rosario is an important educational centre at a national and international level. It is the home of theNational University of Rosario (UNR) since 1968, which includes theLaw Faculty, theMedicine Faculty, the Humanities Faculty and an advanced study centre calledCiudad Universitaria de Rosario (university city of Rosario) that is home to more than 10 colleges, among them the Faculty of Psychology, the Faculty of Political Sciences, and the Faculty of Architecture. It is also home of theRosario Regional Faculty, a branch of theNational Technological University (UTN). All of these national colleges are free.
In the city there are approximately 624 establishments destined for elementary levels and secondary education, the Technical Institute, which depends directly on the UNR. With a solid tradition as for university education, it is head of several academic institutions, and is public, and free access.
Currently, there are some 80,000 university students at various institutions around the city, representing approximately 8.5% of the total population. This rate is one of the highest in Argentina. In Rosario, nearly 15% of the population benefits from higher education degrees, or have undergone at least some university studies.
Rosario is the third largest urban center whereRioplatense Spanish is spoken, after Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The local language evidences the typical linguistic features that characterize thisdialect, notably thevoseo (use ofvos instead oftú as pronoun for the second person singular) and thesheísmo (form ofyeísmo wherell- andy- are pronounced as avoiceless[ʃ]). Although theespañol rosarino does not differ substantially from the other variants of the same dialect, it presents particularities easily noticeable by those who live in the other main populated areas of the region.
One of the most notable characteristics of the language of Rosario's area of influence is the process of aspiration and disappearance of the-s. When the-s is in implosive position, end of syllable or word followed by consonant, its sound becomes a soft and voiceless aspiration [h] (the wordobispo is pronouncedo̞ˈβihpo̞). In the popular and vulgar language, the final-s,-r, or-d are sometimes suppressed, although this phenomenon is commonly associated to sociocultural groups of lower formal education.[61]
Just as in Buenos Aires, thevoseo is pronominal and verbal. The pronountú and its associated verbal forms are non-existent (which is not the case in the Montevideo variant) The tendency to add a final-s to the verbal forms of the second person plural (vos fuistes,vos vinistes), which is rather common in Buenos Aires, is very unusual among Rosario natives.
Even though thelexicon of Rosario and Buenos Aires is effectively identical, there are numerous terms and idioms that Rosario shares with the rest of the country (even areas where a different dialect prevails) but not with the capital, as well as other words and expressions that are unique to therosarino speech, both formal and informal.
TheRosarigasino is a type of Jerigonza (game of words) that originated in the city and was rather common in the informal speech during the 20th century. Although it has fallen into disuse, it has become a language ofcult among certain local groups.
Encuentro y Fiesta Nacional de Colectividades (Communities Meeting and National Celebration). Annual event, starting in 1985, showcasing music, song, dance, cuisine and customs of foreign communities in Argentina, in the ample room provided by theParque Nacional a la Bandera (National Flag Park). Usually held in November; in 2004 it was postponed to the beginning of December in order to avoid overlap with theThird International Congress of the Spanish Language.
Festival Iberoamericano de Cine de Rosario (Ibero-American Film Festival). Annual event since 2003 (November).
Leyendas ("Legends"). A cartoon, role-playing and science fiction convention. Annually since 1999, usually in autumn (April/May), sometimes in spring (November).
The city is located on a smoothly undulated plain typical of thePampas, between 22.5 and 24.6 metresabove mean sea level; the original settlement rests on theravine on the right-hand shore of the Paraná, opposite a group of islands of theParaná Delta which are partly in the jurisdiction of the province ofEntre Ríos. The nearest city across the river'sflood plain (60 km) isVictoria, Entre Ríos, linked to Rosario by theRosario-Victoria Bridge.
Rosario lies on theravine of the right-hand shore of the Paraná, about 24 metres (79 ft)above mean sea level, in a place with a natural slope to the low shore. The point of origin of the city isPlaza 25 de Mayo ("May 25 Square"), now surrounded by the municipality (Palacio de los Leones), theBasilica Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Central Post Office, theDecorative Art Museum and a building calledLa Bola de Nieve ("The Snowball"). Between the Cathedral and the municipal building isPasaje Juramento ("Oath Passage"), leading to the Flag Memorial. The streets mostly follow a regularcheckerboard pattern.
The Rosario area has aPampean,humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa/Cwa),[76] and is well known for its changeable weather conditions. The city has average temperatures of 23.7 °C (74.7 °F) maximum and 11.8 °C (53.2 °F) minimum. The annual rainfall is 1,038 mm (40.9 in).
Rosario is usually warmer than other mainland Argentine capital cities in the winter. The lowest average in winter is 4.4 °C (40 °F). This is due in part to the city's flat topography, its situation on the Paraná River bank, and the presence of high density of urbanization. Those conditions have created a microclimate known asurban heat island that often means that the city is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas.
The temperature difference usually is greater at night than during the day, greater in winter than in summer and most apparent when winds are light. However snowfalls are extremely rare: the most recent occurrence of sleet in the CBD was on 9 July 2007.During the spring Rosario commonly enjoys extended periods of warm weather and clear skies. Rosario has average day-night temperatures of 23–10 °C (73–50 °F). The city experiences hot and humid summer days, with maximum temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F), when northerly winds blow humid air from Brazil. The record high temperature is 40.5 °C (104.9 °F) on January 9, 2006, while the record low is −8.4 °C (17 °F) on July 15, 2020.[77]
Climate data for Rosario (Islas Malvinas Airport), elevation: 25 m, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1875–present
Source 2: Meteo Climat (record highs and lows),[81] Oficina de Riesgo Agropecuario (March/April/October/November/December record highs, and July/September/October/December record low),[82] UNLP (percent sun 1971–1980)[83]
Rosario has two private localtelevision channels,Canal 3 andCanal 5 (the latter is part of the national networkTelefé), and a relay station for the public national station,Canal 7 Argentina. There are also three cable TV networks (the national onesCablevisión and Multicanal, and a local network, Cablehogar), which support two local channels, Canal 4 Noticias and Canal 6.
There are fourAM radio stations: three private (licensed by the state) ones, LT3 Radio 2 (LT2), and LT8, and one public, Radio Nacional Rosario, property of the national state. Among the multitude (above 200) ofFM stations, some notable ones are FM Vida, Estación del Siglo, FM Del Rosario, Cristal FM, Radio Hollywood, Fisherton-CNN, Continental Rosario, Radio 10 Rosario, Radiofónica, and Clásica Rosario.
The city has three notable newspapers:La Capital (Argentina's oldest newspaper, founded in 1867, and still published today),Rosario/12 (founded in 1991), andEl Ciudadano & La Región (founded in 1999).
Rosario is located at the center of Argentina'soptical fiber ring. The main data transport companies offer all their services in the city, from public phones tomobile networks andbroadband Internet access throughDSL,cable modem andWi-Fi, and including public Internet navigation centers (cybercafes).
About 96% of homes have a domestictelephone line, giving a total of 472,170 lines; cell phone usage has also become pervasive, as happened in Argentina as a whole since the beginning of the 21st century, reaching over 86% of the residents (866,000 mobile lines in July 2004). This demand, boosted by low prices and sale promotions, and coupled with restrictions on the installation of antennas and alleged lack of investment by the providers, sometimes degrades the quality of the service. Most notably, the mobile network collapsed almost completely in the celebrations ofChristmas,New Year's Day andFriend's Day in 2004 and 2005.
^"National Decree 1595/79"(PDF). Archived from the original on 23 November 2006. Retrieved30 January 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^CONICETArchived 2008-10-22 at theWayback Machine –La ciudad y su zona de influencia tienen un polo portuario que atrae inversiones. Overview of the port economy in the Rosario area(in Spanish).
^"Station Rosario" (in French). Météo Climat.Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved11 June 2016.
^"Rosario, Santa Fe".Estadísticas meteorológicas decadiales (in Spanish). Oficina de Riesgo Agropecuario.Archived from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved10 June 2015.
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